Stylists Swear These Are the 14 Best Hair Shears, Whether You're a Novice Cutter or a Pro (2024)

Once upon a time, we would have shuddered at the thought of an at-home haircut. But nowadays, it doesn’t feel so foreign (global pandemic, we see you). However, if you’re going down the DIY path, whether you're a novice cutter or a pro, it’s important to have the right tools, namely a pair of quality hair shears.

“At-home haircuts are a slippery slope, but totally possible,” according to stylist and Raw salon owner Anthony Nader, “if you take the approach that less is more and use the best shears for the job.”

We agree this can be tricky territory if you’ve never cut your hair at home, which is why we’ve done the hard work for you and found the best professional hair-cutting shears on the market for all hair types, skill sets, and style preferences. To land on these pro-approved shears, we conducted hours of research, evaluating our options based on their sharpness, material, and how long-lasting they were. Our team then combined these results with customer reviews and top-rated picks recommended by stylists Nader, Karen Miller, and Edward Tricomi, the co-founder of Warren Tricomi Salons, to create this vetted list—and ahead, we're sharing which ones outperformed their competition.

Our Top Picks

• Best Overall: Matsui Aichei Mountain Offset Shear at ScissorTech
• Best Lightweight Shears: Joewell New Era Cutting Shear at JPScissors
• Best Budget: Coolala Stainless Steel Hair Cutting Scissors 6.5" at Amazon
• Best Drugstore: Tweezerman Spirit 2000 Styling Shears at Amazon
• Best Adjustable: Equinox Professional Razor Edge Series Scissors at Amazon
• Best Blending: Sam Villa Reversible Blending Shears at Amazon
• Best Ergonomic: ULG Hair Cutting Scissors at Amazon
• Best Kit: Sirabe 10 Piece Hair Cutting Scissors Set at Amazon
• Best for Wet and Dry Cuts: Fromm Explore 5.75" Shears at Amazon
• Best for Touch-Ups: JAVENPROLIU Professional Shears at Amazon

Size: 5.5, 6, 7 inches | Style: Ambidextrous | Materials: Cobalt-infused steel

Fancy yourself a bit of a semi-pro at-home hairdresser? Invest in a great pair of shears like these from Matsui. They’re made from Aichei Japanese Steel and come with finger inserts to get your best fit. Plus, the fine point means you can feather or add texture to the hair. We recommend keeping an eye on the edge of the blades to ensure they stay sharp.

Size: 6.5 inches | Style: Right hand | Materials: Stainless steel

It's kind of hard to believe this shear-and-comb kit comes in at about the same cost as a lox bagel, but such is the wonder of affordable beauty. Made from high-quality steel and with an adjustable screw for customized tension, these work well on all hair types and styles, from crops to long layers. Though we'd like to see them sharper out of the package, the value is solid.

Size: 5.5 inches | Style: Ambidextrous | Materials: Stainless steel

With a plastic handle and stainless steel blades, these shears from Tweezerman are simple and user-friendly. Don't let the convenience fool you, these drugstore shears are built to last (though they may need to be sharpened).

Size: 6.5 inches | Style: Ambidextrous | Materials: Stainless steel

These handy shears allow you to easily change the tension setting to suit your hair type and style preference. They also come coated in a thin layer of oil to ensure the blades are fresh, so be sure to wash them thoroughly before use.

Size: 6.5 inches | Style: Ambidextrous | Materials: Stainless steel

When it comes to bulk hair removal or blending strong layers, Miller reaches for Sam Villa’s reversible shears. “What I like about them is their ability to make achieving a good haircut easy,” she shares. We also appreciate their ability to make quick work when thinning or texturizing. It comes with an adjustment coin so you can dial in the right amount of tension.

Size: 6.5 inches | Style: Right hand | Materials: Stainless steel

No one wants crampy, uncomfortable fingers when snipping away. Enter the ULG Hair Cutting Scissors. The ergonomic shape is designed to facilitate easy movement with an inner silicone finger grip to prevent slipping. A drawback of this pick is that the metal can sustain cosmetic damage over time.

Size: 6.7 inches | Style: Right hand | Materials: Stainless steel

Feeling confident? Try expanding your DIY haircutting repertoire to include this 10-piece kit from Sirabe. Complete with thinning scissors, regular shears, clips, a comb, and a cape, you’ll have everything on hand to give yourself (or someone else) a professional-ish job from the comforts of home. We'd like to see a sharper set of scissors out of the package, so it may be worth it to get them sharpened.

Size: 5.75 inches | Style: Ambidextrous | Materials: Steel

These handy shears allow you to easily change the tension setting to suit your hair type and style preference. They also come coated in a thin layer of oil to ensure the blades are fresh, so be sure to wash them thoroughly before use.

Size: 6 inches | Style: Right hand | Materials: Steel

Handmade from steel, these colored shears are not only fun to look at but work a treat on all hair types. High quality and comfortable to use, Nader says they’re everything you need to touch up split ends, layers, or bangs. One Amazon customer mentioned that should you ever find the joint jams up, try adding a drop of baby oil. What would make these shears even better? We'd like to see sharper blades out of the package.

Size: 7.5 inches | Style: Right hand | Materials: Steel

If you’re looking for a shorter blade for more specialized work, this kit from Diane is a great option. Sharp, easy to use, and comfortable to grip, they work well on crops and bobs. The inclusion of clips and a comb is a nice touch, though you won't be overly impressed by the quality of the accessories.

Size: 5.25 inches | Style: Left hand | Materials: Stainless steel

Jaguar gets that not everyone cuts hair the same way, so they offer an offset left-handed variation of their stylish thinning shears. Thirty-eight thinning teeth with fine V-teeth serration ensure smooth, precise cuts every time. One drawback to this model is that it can pull at the hair.

Size: 6.6 inches | Style: Ambidextrous | Materials: Alloy and stainless steel

These sleek black shears are high quality and a great choice for beginners. With a long, razor-sharp cutting edge, they move freely and have a comfortable handle for a clean cut at home. Keep in mind that these scissors should be treated with care.

Size: 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5 inches | Style: Right hand | Materials: Cobalt and molybdenum alloys

Okay, these are really not cheap, but if you’re happy going your own way in the hair department and want the tools to match, these HH8 shears are gold glass. They feature a permanent finger rest, tension control, even balance, and a screw-in bumper for a precise cut every single time. While a splurge, they come with a lifetime warranty as well. One thing to note is that they are relatively weighty.

What to Look For When Buying Professional Hair Shears

• Material: When looking to buy hair shears, stainless steel is by far the best material to go for as it retains a sharp edge, won’t rust, and will last forever.
• Length: While this is more important for professional stylists than at-home stylists, you can still consider the length of your shear. First of all, choose something that aligns with the size of your hands. If they’re bigger (and your fingers are longer), go for a longer shear and vice versa. Your hairstyle matters as well. Longer shears are better at cutting curves and long layers, whereas shorter shears are great for ends, bangs, short choppy styles, and crops.
  

Why Trust Byrdie

Emily Algar is an experienced freelance journalist who covers all things beauty. She has written for various publications such as Allure, Who What Wear, MyDomaine, and, of course, Byrdie.

Byrdie contributor Kelli Acciardo has over a decade of experience in the beauty industry and regularly gets haircuts from celebrity stylists who school her on the many different types of shears on the market.

For this story, Team Byrdie interviewed three experts to gather more insights about what to keep in mind when buying professional hair shears. Those experts include:

• Anthony Nader, Raw Hair Salon owner and stylist who specializes in precision cuts.
• Edward Tricomi, master celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of Warren Tricomi Salons, who has coiffed everyone from Coco Chanel and Salvador Dalí to Freddie Mercury.
• Karen Miller, a celebrity hairstylist and educator who has worked with Quinta Brunson, Tori Kelly, and Tinashe.

According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find any professional hair shears from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com and we will evaluate the product ASAP.